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DELCATH SYSTEMS, INC. (DCTH)·Q4 2024 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q4 revenue accelerated to $15.1M (vs. $11.2M in Q3 and $0.5M in Q4’23), driven by U.S. HEPZATO KIT sales; gross margin reached 86% and adjusted EBITDA turned positive at $4.6M, while net loss narrowed to $3.4M .
  • Commercial execution strengthened: 16 U.S. centers active by early Q1’25 (up from 12 at Q3-end), with ~“slightly under 2” treatments/site/month and 8 additional centers accepting referrals; management targets 30 active centers by YE25 .
  • Balance sheet inflected: YE cash and investments of $53.2M, no debt, and Q4 operating cash burn of ~$1.0M; warrant exercises contributed ~$41.3M during 2024 .
  • 2025 outlook (qualitative): SG&A to rise ~30–40% YoY as sales coverage expands; R&D to ramp to $35–40M for new indications (mCRC/mBC) while management still expects 2025 to be cash-flow positive; gross margin could approach 90% by YE25 .
  • Potential stock drivers: continued center activation and throughput, validation from CHOPIN/SCANDIUM data readouts in 2025, reimbursement progress ex-U.S., and pipeline initiation (mCRC IND cleared; trial start 2H25) .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

  • What Went Well

    • Commercial ramp: HEPZATO U.S. revenue of $13.7M in Q4 with gross margin at 86% and positive adjusted EBITDA of $4.6M; YE cash/investments $53.2M, no debt .
    • Network expansion: 16 active U.S. centers by early Q1’25 (from 12 at Q3-end), with marquee academic centers in the mix; average treatments/site ~“slightly under 2” per month .
    • Strategic validation: NCCN guidelines updated to include liver‑dominant disease; FDA cleared mCRC Phase 2 IND; management appointed SVP of Interventional Oncology to drive R&D .
    • Quote: “In 2024, the successful launch of HEPZATO drove strong financial and operational results, including positive adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter.” — CEO Gerard Michel .
  • What Went Wrong

    • Profitability still GAAP-negative: Q4 GAAP net loss of $3.4M despite strong revenue and margin; full-year net loss was $26.4M .
    • Operating leverage build required: SG&A to rise ~30–40% in 2025 to support expansion; R&D expected to increase to $35–40M for new trials, which could temper near-term EPS even as cash flow trends improve .
    • EU revenue remains modest vs. U.S.: strategy is to run Europe near breakeven with growth hinging on market-by-market reimbursement; step-ups are “binary” and timing uncertain .

Financial Results

Income statement summary (USD, millions except per-share). Periods left→right are chronological.

MetricQ1 2024Q2 2024Q3 2024Q4 2024
Revenue$3.139 $7.766 $11.200 $15.100
Gross Profit$2.236 $6.247 $9.560 $12.974
Gross Margin %71.3% (calc) 80.4% (calc) 85.0% 86.0%
Total OpEx$12.514 $10.159 $10.819 $9.935
Net Income (Loss)$(11.111) $(13.741) $1.864 $(3.398)
Diluted EPS ($)$(0.45) $(0.48) $0.06 $(0.11)

Notes: Q1 and Q2 gross margin percentages are computed from reported revenue and gross profit in company statements; Q3 and Q4 gross margins are management disclosures .

Segment revenue breakdown (USD, millions)

MetricQ2 2024Q3 2024Q4 2024
HEPZATO KIT Revenue$6.6 $10.0 $13.7
CHEMOSAT Revenue$1.2 $1.2 $1.4
Total Revenue$7.8 $11.2 $15.1

KPIs and balance sheet

KPIQ1 2024Q2 2024Q3 2024Q4 2024
Active U.S. Centers (end/point)4 activated in Q1 8 active total 12 active total 16 active total (early Q1’25)
Avg Treatments/Site/Month~“just under 2” ~“slightly under 2”
Cash & Investments ($M)$27.2 $19.9 $14.0 $53.2
Operating Cash Burn ($M)$3.6 $1.0
Adjusted EBITDA ($M)$4.6

YoY highlights for Q4: Revenue $15.1M vs $0.5M in Q4’23; net loss $(3.4)M vs $(11.1)M; GM 86% vs GM implied by prior-year data; EPS $(0.11) vs $(0.48) in Q4’23 .

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Active U.S. CentersFY2025 YE30 by YE25 (reiterated) 30 by YE25 (reaffirmed) Maintained
Gross Margin %FY2025n/aExpect ~mid‑80s to “probably reach 90% by end of 2025” New commentary
SG&AFY2025n/a+30–40% YoY as team expands to 6 regions New commentary
R&D ExpenseFY2025n/a$35–$40M for trials/new indications New
Cash FlowFY2025n/aExpect cash‑flow positive in 2025; not promising to maintain thereafter New
Pricing2025n/aHEPZATO price increased to ~$187,500 in early Feb; cadence tied to inflation constraints (CMS) New

No formal revenue/EPS guidance was issued in the Q4 materials.

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q2 2024 and Q3 2024)Current Period (Q4 2024)Trend
Center activation & throughputQ2: 8 active centers ; Q3: 12 active, avg <2 tx/site/month; holiday seasonality expected to elongate cycles 16 active by early Q1’25; ~“slightly under 2” tx/site/month; goal 30 by YE25 Improving capacity; expanding coverage
EU strategy & reimbursementBreakeven approach, CHEMOSAT volumes +137% YoY in 2024; expansion into FR/IT/ES; reimbursement is key driver Expect “modest” growth; step changes contingent on reimbursement (UK/NL in focus) Gradual; catalyst‑dependent
Clinical pipeline (mCRC/mBC)Plans for two Phase 2 RCTs; timelines guided for 2025 starts mCRC IND cleared; start 2H25; breast trial planned 4Q25; endpoints/timelines reiterated Advancing per plan
Gross margin trajectoryGM 85% in Q3 GM 86% in Q4; could reach ~90% by YE25; leverage on fixed infra
PricingEarly Feb price to ~$187,500; increases limited by inflation caps (CMS)
Referrals & networkBuilding referral networks; seasonality in 4Q Referral pipeline developing; need more centers to reduce travel friction
Guidelines/regulatoryNCCN updated to include liver‑dominant disease; supports TAM alignment with label

Management Commentary

  • Strategic posture: “We are well positioned to continue to grow revenue while investing in high‑impact R&D initiatives. The future for Delcath has never been brighter.” — CEO Gerard Michel .
  • Commercial cadence: “In Q4, the average treatment rate per site was slightly under 2 per month, a rate expected to continue in 2025 as we bring on new centers…” — CEO Gerard Michel .
  • Profitability path: “We achieved $4.6 million in positive adjusted EBITDA [in Q4]… and ended the year with $53.2 million in cash and investments with no debt.” — CEO Gerard Michel .
  • Expense outlook: “SG&A… about a 30% to 40% increase [YoY] into 2025… fully staffed by midyear.” — CFO Sandra Pennell .
  • Margin outlook: “We ended Q4 with 86% gross margin and we do expect that to continue into 2025 and probably could reach 90% by the end of 2025.” — CFO Sandra Pennell .

Q&A Highlights

  • Treatment cycles per patient: Label allows up to 6; real‑world trajectory appears at least consistent with FOCUS’ 4.1 average; tolerability and anecdotally strong responses could support ≥4 cycles over time .
  • Opex cadence: SG&A +30–40% in 2025 on sales expansion; R&D to $35–40M to fund mCRC/mBC programs and IITs .
  • Pricing: HEPZATO increased to ~$187,500 in early Feb; future adjustments constrained to inflation under CMS rules .
  • Network/referrals: Pareto remains (top accounts drive mix but concentration decreasing); more centers needed to reduce travel friction and capture patients locally .
  • Profitability stance: Management expects to be cash‑flow positive in 2025 but will invest in high‑return R&D; no commitment to maintain CF+ beyond 2025 if opportunities warrant .

Estimates Context

  • S&P Global consensus for Q4 2024 revenue/EPS was not available for retrieval at the time of analysis due to data access limits; therefore, we cannot provide a vs. consensus comparison for Q4 results at this time. Values would be retrieved from S&P Global if available.
  • On the call, one analyst cited a 2025 revenue consensus of ~$77M; management declined to characterize it as conservative or aggressive .
  • Given the inflection in revenue and GM, and the planned expansion of active centers and sales coverage, street models may need to adjust SG&A (higher) and R&D (higher) for 2025 while contemplating improving gross margins and cash‑flow positivity in 2025 .

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Commercial flywheel: Sequential revenue acceleration (+35% Q/Q in Q4) with expanding center footprint and stable utilization (~<2 tx/site/month) supports continued top‑line momentum into 2025 .
  • Margin power: Structural gross margin in the mid‑80s with a credible path toward ~90% by YE25 enhances operating leverage as volumes scale .
  • Investment mode: Expect 2025 opex to rise (SG&A +30–40%; R&D $35–40M) to fund field expansion and new indications; cash‑flow positive in 2025 is still expected despite higher spend .
  • Clinical catalysts: mCRC Phase 2 initiation (2H25); breast (4Q25); CHOPIN/SCANDIUM readouts in 2025 could accelerate adoption and shape sequencing with IO therapies .
  • U.S. first, EU strategic: U.S. remains the growth engine; EU run at breakeven pending reimbursement step‑ups (UK/NL priority markets) .
  • Reimbursement/Guidelines tailwinds: NCCN update to liver‑dominant mUM aligns with label and should support community referrals and broader adoption .

Appendix: Additional Relevant Press Releases for Q4 2024 Context

  • Preliminary Q4 & FY 2024 results announced Jan 13, 2025: Q4 rev ~$15.1M, FY rev ~$37.2M; YE cash/investments ~$53.2M; GM 80–85% prelim .
  • Q3 2024 results (Nov 8, 2024): revenue $11.2M; indicated center activations and publications; cash/investments $14.0M; warrant exercises added ~$25M proceeds .
  • Q2 2024 results (Aug 5, 2024): revenue $7.8M (HEPZATO $6.6M; CHEMOSAT $1.2M); NTAP secured Aug 1; 8 active centers .

Citations

  • Q4 2024 8‑K press release and financials:
  • Q4 2024 earnings call transcript (full):
  • Q3 2024 press release and transcript:
  • Q2 2024 press release and financials:
  • Q1 2024 press release and financials:
  • IND clearance for mCRC Phase 2: